NYS Legislature Passes Bill For East Ramapo School District

The New York state legislature Thursday passed a bill concerning the troubled East Ramapo School District in Rockland County.

The Senate and Assembly passed the bill that had been introduced Monday after lawmakers and the East Ramapo School Board agreed on measures to be contained in the legislation, which sends $3 million to the district to restore student programs. Independent Democrat David Carlucci, who introduced the bill in the Senate, says the legislation will allow for public feedback in future funding projects, budgetary oversight provided by the Commissioner of Education and the continuation of appointed monitors on the ground in the district. The legislation, which now awaits Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature, would be in effect for one year.

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The FBI conducted raids Wednesday in Rockland County’s Ramapo and Orange County’s Kiryas Joel to see if millions of federal dollars earmarked for technology in religious schools were misused. Now a state senator from the region is calling on congressional representatives to get involved.

The New York state education commissioner visited the troubled East Ramapo School District in Rockland County earlier this week. Commissioner MaryEllen Elia says she spent Wednesday alongside the interim superintendent and school board chair.

“And I went into multiple classrooms, talks to a number of teachers,” says Elia. “And we still have issues in East Ramapo and the state Ed Department is committed to addressing those issues. And I think we need to work out how we can do that and support the students of that area.”